


and when you smile (the whole world stops and stares for a while)

by suituuup



Category: Pitch Perfect (Movies)
Genre: F/F, Fluff, Humor, I swear Jesse and Beca are over, Meet-Cute, Romance, Single Parents
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-30
Updated: 2021-01-30
Packaged: 2021-03-17 01:13:59
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 6,234
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29091843
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/suituuup/pseuds/suituuup
Summary: It’s Jack Swanson’s first day of primary school, and he’s afraid not to make any friends. Beca is relieved to find out at the end of the day that her son was invited for a playdate by a boy named Oliver Beale. His mother happens to be very attractive, and just like Beca, very single.
Relationships: Chloe Beale/Beca Mitchell
Comments: 45
Kudos: 227





	and when you smile (the whole world stops and stares for a while)

**Author's Note:**

> A fluffy meet-cute with kids thrown in the mix! I hope you enjoy :)

_beep! beep! beep!_

Beca’s groan is muffled by the pillow she’s currently drooling on as her hand blindly searches for her phone. Once she’s grasped it, she squints at it to find the snooze button, dropping it back on her mattress with a thud. 

She _loathes_ mornings. 

Always have, probably always will.

You’d think she would have gotten used to getting up at ass’o’clock with two kids, but _nope._ Dragging herself out of bed before nine is still a struggle. 

“Mommy, potty!” 

_God_. Can’t even get five more minutes of sleep in this house. 

“Coming, baby!” She calls out, her sleep-tangled limbs stumbling out of bed and across the hall towards her toddler’s room. She scoops her daughter up from her crib and dashes to the bathroom, tugging her pull-ups down and setting her on the toilet. Parker wasn’t able to hold it anymore those past two mornings, peeing right before Beca made it to the bathroom, so this is definitely an accomplishment. She makes a show of wiping her forehead with the back of her hand as she stands back. “Phew, that was close.” 

Parker giggles, her small legs swinging back and forth. “Mommy silly.” She straightens a beat later. “Parker done!” 

Beca’s eyes narrow into tiny slits. “You sure?” 

“Yep! Mommy wipe!” 

“Jeez, someone is bossy this morning,” Beca mumbles as she grabs a few sheets of toilet paper. After, she hoists Parker onto the small step stool set in front of the sink so she can wash her hands. “Not too much soap, baby.” 

In true Parker Swanson fashion, the toddler ignores her completely and squeezes three pumps into her palm, her little tongue sticking out in concentration as she rubs her hands together. 

Beca’s gaze drifts away from her daughter when her son appears around the corner, rubbing his eyes sleepily. “Hey, bud! Ready for your first day of primary school??”

Jack’s shoulders slump, his bottom lip jutted out in an adorable pout. “What if I don’t make any friends, mommy?” 

“Oh, baby,” Beca moves away from the sink and crouches down in front of the six-year-old, fixing his askew pajamas top. “You’re going to make _loads_ of friends. Because luckily, you inherited your dad’s personality and you actually _like_ being around people, unlike mommy. Just be yourself, share about things you love, like music and dogs and hockey.” 

Jack seems to ponder on that for a bit, then nods. “Can I pick my clothes by myself?” 

Beca smiles. “Sure thing, handsome. Go pick them out, but wait until breakfast before changing, alright?” 

As Jack scurries out of the bathroom, Beca straightens and hands a towel to Parker so she can dry her hands. 

“What should we make for breakfast, little monster?” She asks as she scoops her up and carries her down the hall towards the kitchen, blowing raspberries into her neck. 

Parker giggles, squirming. “Pamcakes!” 

Beca chuckles and sets her down. “Pamcakes it is.” 

As always, getting the kids ready on time is a bit chaotic, no matter how early they get the day started. Jack picked a plaid button-down shirt and jeans, pairing his outfit with red high-top converse. They eventually make it to the car, the kids belting out to the _Greatest Showman_ soundtrack the entire way to Jack’s school. 

“Alright, here we are,” Beca announces once she’s parked, twisting around in her seat. “You okay, little dude?” 

Jack glances to the building, then to his mom, and musters a nod. Beca steps out and unbuckles Parker, meeting Jack on the other side and taking his hands as they cross the street. 

“Mommy, I’m scared,” Jack mumbles as they get nearer, wrapping his arms around one of her legs. 

Beca sets Parker down and crouches down to his level, her heart clenching with nerves on his behalf. “It’s normal to be a little scared because it’s something new.” 

“Hi, there!” A tall, young brunette with kind features greets them as she approaches. “I’m Miss Emily, the first-grade teacher.” She glances down. “What’s your name, buddy?” 

“Jack,” Jack replies after a beat of hesitation. 

“I’m Parker!” Parker exclaims even though she wasn’t asked, a lot less shy than her older brother as she grins up towards the teacher. 

Miss Emily chuckles. “Nice to meet you both. Are you excited about your first day, Jack?” 

Jack shrugs. 

“It’s pretty scary, huh? Tell you what, today is just about discovering new things, learning to know your classmates, and having _lots_ of fun.” 

Jack glances towards his mom. “You’ll come to get me after, right?” 

Beca smiles and blinks back the tears springing to her eyes, not having expected to get emotional on her son’s first day of primary school. “Of course I will. I’ll be here before school even lets out.” 

“Okay.” 

Beca presses a kiss to his forehead. “I love you, little man.” 

“Love you too, mommy.” With another beat of hesitation, he follows Miss Emily, soon disappearing inside the building. 

“Mommy cry?” Parker asks, patting Beca’s wet cheek. 

“Ugh. Yeah, mommy is being silly,” she manages around the lump in her throat, mustering a smile. “Come on, time for daycare, little monster.” 

Beca manages to distract herself once she gets back home and dives into work. She is, as promised, back five minutes before 2:30, a wide, beaming grin spreading across her features at the sight of her son running towards her. 

She crouches down and wraps her arms around him. “How was it??” 

“Awesome!” Jack exclaims as he backs away. “I have a playdate next Saturday!” 

Beca beams. “Already?? Who invited you?” 

“Ollie!” He points to a red-haired boy standing a dozen feet away, talking to a woman with matching flame-red hair. 

“Alright, let me go talk to his mom so we can set that up.” 

Straightening, Beca takes Jack’s hand and walks over, nearly tripping over her own feet when said-woman turns towards her. She has the most vibrant blue eyes Beca has ever seen, and her gorgeous smile makes Beca weak at the knees. 

“Hi, you must be Jack’s mom?” 

This is an awfully inconvenient time to be experiencing gay panic. 

Her brain might have short-circuited. Or experienced permanent damage.

Seriously, she should really say something.

Anything.

_Talk!_

“Yes!” She exclaims _way_ louder than necessary, inwardly face-palming. Her nose scrunches up in embarrassment and she can feel her ears burn. “Hi, sorry. I’m Beca.” 

“Chloe,” Ollie’s mom introduces herself in turn, thrusting out a manicured hand. 

Beca can’t help but note how put together she looks. Not in an obnoxious kind of way like the mom stepping out of her Audi SUV just now and who gives Beca a condescending once-over, but rather in an amazing mom kind of way; the kind who is always on time, always has snacks at the ready, and who is really skillful when it comes to craft projects. 

Beca, on the other hand, isn’t even sure she brushed her hair this morning, and she knows for a fact there’s a yogurt stain on the collar of her shirt from when Parker flung her spoon at her this morning. 

And make-up? Ha, Beca can’t remember the last time she put some of that shit on. 

“Nice to meet you,” she returns with a tight-lipped smile as she shakes Chloe’s hand. “So Jack here told me about a playdate?” 

“Yeah, this guy just told me he wanted to invite him over. Would Saturday work for you?”

Beca nods. “Saturday, yep. That works.” 

“Awes! Can I get your number to text you the address?” 

“Um yeah, of course.” Beca fishes her own phone out of her pocket while she gives Chloe her number, then punches hers in. “Perfect. See you guys on Wednesday, then.” 

“See ya!” 

Beca glances down at her son as they walk to the car, smiling. “Did you have fun, then?” 

“Yeah! I _love_ first grade. Miss Emily is really nice and Ollie is _so_ cool.” 

Beca’s heart swells, relief sweeping over her insides. “That’s awesome, kiddo. Should we order pizza for dinner?” She asks as he scrambles into his car seat, reaching over to buckle his seatbelt on the other side. 

“But it’s a Tuesday!” Jack points out, almost indignantly. 

Beca smirks. “I know, but your first day of school is a pretty big deal, right? You can’t tell your dad, though.” 

Jack pinches his pointer finger and thumb together, sliding them across his sealed lips in a _your secret’s safe with me_ way, his gaze sheepish.

Beca might be a walking disaster, but she likes to believe that she’s a _cool_ mom. 

*

Saturday comes around faster than Beca expected it to. 

Her kids graced her with an extra thirty minutes of sleep, so she’s in a pretty good mood when she wakes up. After breakfast, she, Jack, and Parker bake cookies to bring over to Chloe and Ollie’s this afternoon, and they head over once Parker is up from her nap. 

“Hey, guys!” Chloe greets them with another one of those dazzling smiles, but at least Beca is prepared this time. “Come on in.” 

“We brought cookies!” Jack exclaims, holding up the tupperware towards Chloe. “Parker stole two.” 

“Easy, mister tattletale,” Beca mutters, ruffling his hair as she holds Parker on her hip, focusing back on Chloe. “Thanks for having us over.” 

“Of course, thanks for the cookies.” 

Ollie appears around the living room corner, beaming at the sight of his friend. “You’re here!” A golden retriever puppy slides over the tile as it scurries to catch up with the little boy. “This is Champ!” 

Jack gasps and kneels by the puppy, petting his head. 

“Why don’t you boys go play with him in the garden. Champ could use some exercise,” Chloe suggests, watching fondly as they disappear through the open bay window behind the couch. Her gaze flickers back to Beca, then to Parker. “So this is Parker, I’m guessing? Unless the cookie stealer is a four-legged companion?”

Beca nods as Parker buries her face into her neck, away from Chloe’s focus. “This is Parker, yeah. She’s two and unexpectedly shy right now.” 

“You really said copy and paste, huh? She looks just like you.” 

“In both looks _and_ personality, unfortunately,” Beca grumbles good-naturedly. “What time should I come to pick him up?” 

“Oh, I was hoping you and I could hang out?” Chloe asks, then grimaces. “I’m actually new in town and would like to meet other people my own age. But it’s totally fine if you have better things to do!” 

“I planned on folding laundry while watching Sesame Street for the rest of the afternoon, so spending time with another adult definitely sounds better.” 

Chloe chuckles. “Great. We can hang out on the patio? Drink-wise I’ve got lemonade, apple juice, or margaritas if you’re not appalled by the idea of starting to drink at 4. If you are, forget I offered.” 

A bright laugh flits past Beca’s lips. “A margarita it is. And Parker likes apple juice.” 

That makes Parker brighten as she lifts her head from Beca’s shoulder. “Appie juice!” 

“Coming right up.”

While Chloe is busy fixing the drinks, Beca heads outside and sets Parker down, watching her toddle to the boys before she sits down on one of the chairs. 

“So you said you were new in town?” She asks, wishing she had brought her sunglasses as she squints against the sun to look at Chloe. 

“Yeah. Ollie and I moved here from Atlanta.” Ollie and I. So Chloe isn’t with anyone. Beca’s little gay heart jolts at that piece of information. “I was looking to get further north and I had an amazing job offer here, so it was a no-brainer. I’m a vet, by the way.” 

“Oh, nice.” 

Chloe nods and smiles. “What do you do?” 

“I write articles for music magazines, like Rolling Stone and Billboard. I used to be a music producer up until I got pregnant with Parker, then I decided I wanted to spend more time at home with my kids.” She takes a sip from her margarita, humming in delight. “This is amazing.” 

“Thanks,” Chloe chirps. “Are you from Portland?” 

Beca shakes her head. “I grew up in Seattle. Spent most of my producing career in NYC and my now ex-husband and I moved here a few months before Jack was born because we both wanted a quieter life. I guess I was too attached to this town to leave, once Jesse and I were split up. I also didn’t want the kids to be away from their dad.” 

“Oh, fellow PNW here. I grew up in the other Portland.” 

“Well,” Beca smirks, holding out her glass. “Welcome to the cool one.” 

Chloe chuckles, clinking her drink against Beca’s. “Thanks. I’m actually really excited about having a white Christmas. So is Ollie.” She clears her throat, smiling. “Did Jack enjoy his first week at school?” 

“Yeah,” Beca breathes, her focus shifting to the boys and Parker as they play with Champ. “He was a bit scared not to make any friends on his first day but sounds like he and Ollie really hit it off. And their teacher sounds awesome.” 

“Yeah, she really does.” 

“Mommy,” Parker calls out as she runs over. She places a handful of grass in Beca’s hand and runs back to Jack and Ollie without another word. 

Beca snickers. “I better hold onto that. The other day she threw a tantrum because I put the pizza crust she gave me into the bin.” 

Chloe giggles, shaking her head. “Toddlers are _fun_.” 

“ _God_ ,” Beca groans, tilting her head back. “I swear having a two-year-old is like using a blender with no lid. How can she make such a mess in so little time??” She winces as she watches Parker take a tumble, scramble to her feet, and wipe off her now probably grass-stained pants before chasing after her brother. “Chasing her around is basically my cardio. Not that I would do cardio if I didn’t have that.” 

“Oh darn, I was going to ask you if you’d become my running buddy.” 

“Hell no,” Beca says with a laugh. “I’ll be your margarita buddy, though. How’s that?” 

Beca doesn’t usually click so fast with other adults (or with kids, she’s just… not a people person), but the conversation just seems to flow with Chloe, so much that three hours have ticked by without either of them realizing.

“Mommy, can we come back on Saturday?” Jack asks as he puts on his jacket. 

Parker is passed out in her arms, having chased Champ around for the better part of their time at Chloe’s. “I don’t know kid, maybe Chloe and Ollie have better things to do.” 

“Can they, Mama?” Ollie asks in turn. 

“Sure, baby,” Chloe murmurs, running her fingers through her son’s curls. She glances up at Beca. “Same time?” 

Beca nods as she moves towards the door. “Yeah. See you at school, guys. And thank you!” 

“Thank you!” Jack echoes as he bounds down the driveway towards the car. 

Playtime on Saturdays quickly becomes a thing. Beca didn’t realize how much she’s missed talking to an adult, especially someone who understands the challenges of being a single mom. Chloe is an amazing listener, fun to be around, and she seems to like music just as much as Beca does. 

It doesn’t take long for Beca to develop a crush on her. But Chloe gives no indication whether she’s into women at all, and Beca can’t flirt even if her life depended on it, so that’s that. 

**Chloe [7:34pm]**

_Hey! Do you by any chance know a good sitter? I need someone to watch Ollie for Back to School night._

**Beca [7:36pm]**

_Jesse is watching the kids, I’m dropping them off after school. I can take Ollie with us?_

**Chloe [7:36pm]**

_Yeah? Thank you so much. See you tomorrow!_

Jack is of course thrilled to have his buddy come over. Beca makes it to the meeting with two minutes to spare, and Miss Emily directs her to sit in Jack’s seat, which happens to be next to Chloe. 

“Hey,” Beca greets with a smile, tucking a runaway strand of hair behind her ear. 

Chloe grins. “Hey, you.” 

Rick, a dad Beca is familiar with as Jack plays in the same soccer team as his daughter, plops down in the chair across from them. His focus is immediately drawn to Chloe. 

(Beca can’t exactly blame him.) 

“Hi there. I’m Rick, Mia’s dad,” he says, thrusting a hand for Chloe to shake. “Are you new in town? Never seen you around before.” 

“I’m Chloe, Oliver’s mom. Nice to meet you,” she returns, shaking his hand in a firm grip. “And yes, we moved here this summer. I work at the vet clinic in town.” 

“Oh, right on. I’m a firefighter at the station across from your clinic.” 

Beca narrows his eyes at him. Of course, he had to pull the firefighter card. 

Pompous jackass. 

“Welcome to Back to School night, everyone,” Emily greets with a bright smile as she stands in front of the classroom, pulling Beca’s attention away from her sudden murderous ideas. “For those of you who haven’t met me yet, my name is Emily Junk, and it’s my first year here at Breakwater.” 

The meeting lasts about an hour, during which Emily goes through her learning goals for the year and answers parents’ questions. Beca tells Chloe to follow her back to Jesse’s place afterward, and they walk up to his door, Beca going in without knocking as she’s used to. 

“We’re here,” she calls out, motioning for Chloe to follow her as she rounds the corner to the living room. 

“Hey, I’m Jesse,” Jesse greets, standing up from the couch to shake Chloe’s hand. “Beca’s told me a lot about you.” 

Beca glares at her ex. “Not a lot. Just… the normal amount.” 

Chloe simply giggles, her focus shifting to her son as he and Jack run in from Jack’s room, Beca guesses. “Mama.” 

“Hey baby,” Chloe says softly as she scoops him up into her arms. “Did you have fun?” 

Ollie nods, resting his head on her shoulder. “Jack showed me his trains, and we ate burgers.” 

“Oooh, that sounds cool.” She smiles and brushes a kiss to his forehead, then glances back to Jesse and Beca. “Well, we should get going. Thanks a lot for watching him too, Jesse. I appreciate it.” 

“No problem. See you around, Chloe.” 

Beca continues glaring at Jesse long after Chloe’s gone. She knows that look. “Shut up.”

“I didn’t say anything!” Jesse argues as Beca scoops Parker up when the toddler comes over and lifts her arms in a request to be picked up. Jack bounded over to the couch in the meantime, Frozen 2 playing on the TV.

“You were going to.”

“Well… she’s hot.” 

Beca rolled her eyes. “Six-Pack Rick is already on it.” 

“Yikes. I can’t stand that guy.” Mostly because of his looks, Beca is pretty sure. “Want me to go by the clinic and make a case for you?” 

“What?” Beca scrunches up her nose. “Dude, _no_. Why would you even go to the clinic for?” 

Jesse shrugs. “I could have a cat.” 

“That just sounds creepy,” Beca points out. “This whole, my ex-husband being my wingman thing, by the way?” She grimaces again. “Weird af.” 

Her being annoyed is definitely mostly for show, because she is deep down immensely grateful she and Jesse are able to mess around with her dating life after Beca came out to Jesse shortly after Parker’s birth. 

“You haven’t dated since we broke up. You need to get laid or you might get stuck in that perpetual state of grumpiness.” 

Beca narrows her eyes at him menacingly, a not so appropriate word ready to leap off the tip of her tongue before she remembers Parker likes to copy everything she says these days. _Fuck_ is most likely to be casually thrown around by the time she gets to pre-K. 

“Whatever,” Beca grumbles. “Come on guys, let’s head home.” 

“I wanna stay with daddy,” Jack says softly. 

This week isn’t Jesse’s, but Beca is pretty lenient when it comes to their custody agreement. 

“Okay, you can, if dad is alright with it.” 

Jesse beams. “Of course, I’ll drop him off at school tomorrow.” 

“Cool.” Beca tilts her head to the side to catch Logan’s gaze. “What about you, little monster? You wanna sleep at daddy’s, too?” 

Parker isn’t really a mommy or daddy’s girl, it mostly depends on her mood. She pouts and buries her face into Beca’s neck. “Mommy.” 

Beca chuckles. She’s glad Jack can have a little one-on-one time with Jesse. “Okay, then. Do you have her diaper bag, Jess?” 

“Yep.”

The next month follows the same routine. Beca’s crush is definitely skidding out of control because Chloe is just… _sigh_. 

Amazing. Funny. Kind. 

And Beca is still her awkward self, too afraid to make a move. 

She wakes up one rainy Saturday morning in early November to a foot, way too close to her face for comfort. Parker might be small in size (she _is_ Beca’s daughter after all), but she sleeps like a starfish. Jack also came in at some point during the night or early morning, snuggling Beca’s other side. 

She presses a kiss to his forehead, carefully reaching across a snoring Parker to get her phone. A text from Chloe greets her, drawing a sleepy smile. 

**Chloe [6:10am]**

_Good morning :)_

**Beca [8:34am]**

_I’ll never understand why you get up so early on a Saturday._

**Chloe [8:34am]**

_I wanted to go for a sunrise jog!_

**Beca [8:35am]**

_Weirdo._

**Chloe [8:35am]**

_How’s my favorite little fam today?_

**Beca [8:37am]**

_Night scaries are at it again, so Parker crashed into my bed somewhere around 2 am. Woke up in the middle of the night in a chokehold, and to a foot to my face this morning. I swear, sleeping with a toddler is like sharing your bed with a drunk octopus looking for its car keys._

**Chloe [8:37am]**

**😂 😂 😂**

**Chloe [8:37am]**

_You’re a decent skier, right?_

**Beca [8:38am]**

_Yeah, why?_

**Chloe [8:39am]**

_Well, I was talking to Miss Emily about the ski trip in December and she says they’re missing a couple of chaperones. Care to team-up me?_

**Beca [8:39am]**

_I can barely stand my own kids and you want me to be stuck with twenty monsters for TWO days?_

**Chloe [8:39am]**

_Come ooooon. It’ll be fun. And we get to ski for free._

Beca has come to realize that it’s pretty difficult to say no to Chloe Beale.

(except for that Sunday morning jog. She hasn’t caved.) 

(yet.)

**Beca [8:40am]**

_Ugh, fine._

Stirring on Beca’s left side draws Beca’s attention away from her phone, and she smiles down at the sight of sleepy eyes. “Hey baby,” she murmured, the tips of her fingers feathering through Parker’s chocolate curls. “Sleep well?” 

Parker nods and shuffles so that she’s draped across Beca’s upper half. She presses a wet kiss to Beca’s mouth. “I wub you, mommy.” 

Beca smiles, rubbing slow circles over her back. “I love you too, baby.” 

Raising two kids is definitely chaotic and exhausting, and sometimes Beca feels like she’s barely holding it together, but those moments extinguish all those little doubts she may have about her ability to be a good mom. 

*

Beca regrets taking part in that ski trip approximately two minutes into it. She has no patience whatsoever when it comes to kids that aren’t her own, and it takes a lot of self-control not to fling herself off the bus when those little scoundrels break into song (yes, off-key) as soon as it starts down the road. 

“You owe me, Beale,” she mutters as she plops down next to Chloe, casting her a glare. “My ears are screaming fucking murder right now.” 

Chloe giggles. “Sorry.” 

“You’re not sorry at all,” Beca grumbles. 

“I’m not, no. Being here without you would have sucked.” 

It’s not the first time Chloe’s said that sort of thing, and it never fails to make Beca’s heart do that weird thing inside her chest. 

A flutter, or something just as cheesy. 

They make it to the ski resort a few minutes after nine, and the kids get fitted for their skis and helmets before they hit the slopes. The handful of beginners are supervised by ski instructors and Emily, while Beca and the rest of the parents chaperoning take care of the more confident group, which includes Oliver and Jack. 

When the day draws to an end, Beca has got to admit that she had fun, even if she nearly died multiple times because her attention kept being stolen by Chloe and her perfect skiing skills. 

She quickly becomes the kids’ comic relief, which she doesn’t mind too much. 

They head back to the resort a little after five, where the kids get dispatched into their assigned dorms. 

“Beca, Chloe,” Emily calls out as she walks down the hall just as Beca and Chloe exit one of the rooms. “So um, _slight_ booking mishap. You guys have to share a room.” 

Beca and Chloe glance at each other, shrugging simultaneously. “That’s fine,” they reply in unison. 

“And it’s only got one bed,” Emily adds with a wince. 

Beca swallows, feeling her body temperature hike up in mere seconds. “That’s fine,” she repeats, her voice coming out a little squeakier this time around. She clears her throat, her eyes flickering to Chloe. “Right?” 

“Totes,” Chloe says, nodding firmly. 

Cool. Cool, cool, cool. 

After dinner and making sure the kids were all in bed, they both retreat to their room. Beca disappears inside the bathroom to change into her pajamas, Chloe slipping in after her. 

It’s a pretty nice hotel room, with a king-sized bed, a nice sitting area, a large TV screen, and a mini-bar. Beca plops down on the bed and messes around on her phone while Chloe is changing, looking up from her screen when she walks back into the room. 

“Want a drink?” 

Beca props herself up on her elbows, a smirk curving her lips. “We’re supposed to be chaperoning, Beale, not getting drunk. Besides, how bad will it look when the school receives the bill?”

Chloe rolls her eyes. “Come on, live a little. We can pay it off before we leave.” 

“What if a kid needs us and we’re drunk off our asses?” 

“I’ll do the talking. I’m great when it comes to pretending to be sober, trust me.” She bends down and opens the mini-bar. “What’s your poison? We have… whiskey, vodka, beer, and sparkling wine.” 

“Oh god, sparkling wine. College flashback.” 

“You drank sparkling wine in _college?”_ Chloe asks over her shoulder, amusement coloring her tone. “That’s what I drank in freshman year of _high school_.” 

“Yeah well, I guess I wasn’t a party animal like you,” Beca mumbles as she shuffles to the edge of the mattress. “Whiskey, please.” She grabs an orange from the fruit basket and two glasses from the stationary space. “Care for an old-fashioned?” 

“Oooh, yes, definitely. I wasn’t aware whipping-up cocktails was a talent of yours.” 

Beca rolls her eyes, snatching a couple of sugar packets from the basket next to the coffee machine before settling down at the small table. Chloe connects her phone to her small portable Bluetooth speaker, then sits down across from Beca, hugging a knee to her chest.

“I used to be a bartender in New York before I got started in the music business.” 

“Oh yeah? What was it like?” Chloe asks. She looks pretty adorable with her light-framed glasses on and her hair piled on the top of her head in a floppy bun. 

“ _Way_ too many dudes trying to get into my pants,” Beca mumbles with a nose wrinkle as she peels the orange with a knife. 

“Yikes.” 

“But I got some good tips, so…” Beca shrugs, reaching for the tiny bottle of liquor and pouring half in one of the glasses, adding some sugar, stirring, and dropping a peel of orange skin into the auburn concoction. “There you go, miss.” 

“Thank you,” Chloe murmurs before lifting the glass to her lips and taking a sip. “Mm, this is really good.” 

“Yeah?” Beca smiles as she works on making her own drink. 

“What’s one of the worst pick-up lines you heard while you worked there?” 

“Mmm,” Beca hums as she thinks, a bright laugh bursting past her lips when she remembers one. “I like every bone in your body, including mine.” 

Chloe makes a face. _“Gross."_

“Yeah. I could think of a million more, but I wanna hear yours.” 

“Mm, I can’t think of anything that was _that_ awful, to be honest. And I always gave _great_ pick-up lines.” 

Beca cocks an eyebrow as she takes a sip from her drink. “Yeah? Try me, Beale.” 

The sight of Chloe licking her lips and giving Beca that sort of smoldering look makes Beca swallow. “Are you a parking ticket? Because you have fine written all over you.” 

Beca barks out another laugh. “Overused. 3/10.” 

“3/10?!” Chloe’s jaw drops. “Wow, okay. Tough crowd.” She straightens a bit, clearing her throat. “Hey, tie your shoes. I don’t want you falling for anyone else.”

Beca feels her cheeks heat up at that one because that’s exactly what she nearly did that first day at school. “Not bad. 6/10.” 

“You blushed!” Chloe argues. “That’s definitely worth more than a six!” 

Beca gives her a cheeky grin. “Alright, I’ll be generous and give you a seven and a half.” 

“This just reminded me how long it’s been since I last went out and got flirted with,” Chloe muses, her features softening. “Single mom life for you.” 

“Have you been on your own for a long time?” Beca asks, a bit hesitant as Chloe never talks about Ollie’s dad. 

“Always been,” Chloe replies with a smile. “I’ve always wanted kids, and I was tired of my relationships never working out, so I ordered some sperm and had a baby on my own.” 

Beca blinks twice in slow succession. “Wow, that’s-- really brave. And amazing.” 

A fond smile curves Chloe’s lips. “I’m really lucky, he was an easy baby and toddler, and he’s the best thing that happened to me.” 

Beca casts her a matching smile, before leaning forward, eyes sparkling with curiosity. “So did you pick a donor? Is sperm expensive?” 

“Oh my god, it’s a journey.” 

They somehow go from speaking about sperm banks and turkey basters to their worst date, to what their dreams were when they were kids; the kind of seamless talk that lasts hours without either of them realizing. 

“I dreamed of being on Broadway,” Chloe shares as they lie on the carpeted-floor of their room, shoulder to shoulder. 

Beca isn’t sure what made them move to the floor. Her mind is a bit hazy, to be honest, after three drinks. “Really? You can sing? How did I not know this?” 

Chloe shrugs. “Didn’t come up?”

“Sing something?” 

“Oh, _god_.” Chloe’s hands drift up to cover her face briefly. She clears her throat and licks her lips, moving her hands to rest on her stomach. _“You shout it out, but I can’t hear a word you say. I'm talking loud, not saying much._ ” 

Chloe’s voice makes Beca’s breathing stick to her throat as she stares at her profile, an expression of awe crossing her features. She knows how difficult it is singing lying down, and Chloe, like for many other things, knocks this one out of the park with her gorgeous, angel-like timbre and amazing control of her pitch. 

She can’t help but join in on the chorus, nearly forgetting the lyrics altogether as they harmonize in a way that makes Beca wonder if they’ve sung together in a past life. Beca smiles through her singing, crooning the low notes until the very end. 

“Wow,” she breathes out as they stare at one another, losing herself in those compelling blues. 

She doesn’t know if the confidence boost she experiences at that moment comes from the booze or the singing, but Beca leans in slowly, giving Chloe enough time to realize where this is going and pull away if she wants to. But Chloe meets her in the middle, in a soft, tentative brush, then a sweet pull before consuming Beca entirely with a mind-numbing kiss.

“You have no idea how long I’ve been wanting to do that,” Chloe whispers right before she dips forward again, connecting their lips together once more. Warmth sweeps over Beca from the inside out, spreading through her stomach, down her limbs, and magnifying between her legs. 

She shifts on top of Chloe without breaking their lip-lock, swallowing the satisfied moan leaving Chloe’s throat as Chloe’s hands settle on her hips. 

“Me too,” she murmurs when they eventually part to suck some much-needed air into their lungs, her darkened eyes staring down at Chloe hungrily. 

Beca isn’t sure at which point they make it to the bed. Her mind is fogged-up by a cloud of arousal, and all she can focus on is how incredible Chloe’s tongue feels between her legs. She isn’t sure what time it is when they eventually flop back onto the mattress in a mess of tangled limbs, or when is the last time someone made her feel this good, if ever. 

The insisting knocking a handful of hours later makes her groan into her pillow. It takes Beca a while to remember what went down last night, a full-body flush rising when she realizes Chloe’s naked one is pressed up against her. 

“Beca? Chloe? We’re leaving soon.” 

Emily. 

Ski trip. 

Kids across the hall.

 _Shit._

“Fuck,” Beca mutters, sitting up in a flash. “Chloe, wake up.” 

“Mmm?” 

“We’ll be right there!” Beca calls out, nearly face planting as one of her feet gets caught in the bedsheets in her haste to get up. 

“Okay, we’ll wait for you downstairs.” 

She freezes in picking her clothes up off the floor when she realizes Chloe hasn’t moved an inch and is instead staring at her with a lazy smile on her lips. Beca flushes even harder because she’s stark naked and very sober. “Chlo!” 

Chloe giggles. “Sorry. You’re just cute when you’re panicking.” 

Beca’s eyes roll skyward, a strained sort of chuckle puffing free as she tosses Chloe’s top at her head, missing by several inches. “Ugh. Get up and get dressed before we get in trouble, weirdo.” 

Without waiting for a reply, Beca hurries to the bathroom to pee and brush her teeth, then puts on clean underwear and a sports bra before slipping on her thermal underlayers, ski pants, and jacket. 

“Ready?” Beca asks once they’re both dressed, slightly out of breath from rushing around for the past five minutes.

Chloe catches her around the waist and pushes a dizzying kiss to her lips, bumping her nose against her when they part. “Now I am.” 

Beca’s got that stupid, cheesy smile stuck to her lips for the rest of the day, and she only tries to suppress it when she catches Chloe’s smug look as they do the headcount before heading back to Portland. 

“So,” she says as she plops down next to Chloe. “Good day?” 

“Mmm, can’t complain,” Chloe murmurs. “You?” 

Beca offers a nonchalant shrug. “Not bad.” 

Chloe nibbles on her bottom lip. “Do you think Jesse would agree watching Ollie one more time so I can take you out on a date soon?” 

Beca purses her lips to try to keep that smile at bay, ultimately failing. “Jesse is weirdly encouraging me to date, so yeah, most definitely.” Beca chuckles. “He was ready to show up at your clinic to tell you how great I am.” 

“I knew that, already,” Chloe says quietly. “I just wasn’t sure you were into women.” 

“And I was convinced you had the hots for Six-Pack-Rick.” 

“Ew.” 

Beca laughs. She wants to press a kiss to the corner of Chloe’s mouth, but stops herself, remembering they’re surrounded by kids. Chloe fishes into her bag and plugs her earbuds into her phone, offering one to Beca. Beca takes it and slides it into her ear, her pinker finger subtly stroking Chloe’s as they fall silent, exchanging looks here and there like two teenagers with massive crushes on each other riding the bus home. 

“Can Ollie and Chloe come over for dinner tomorrow, mommy?” Jack says when they make it to the school a little after six. He glances at his friend, grinning excitedly. “Saturday nights are pizza nights.” 

“Sure, if you guys are down,” she tells Chloe. 

“Can we, mama?” Ollie asks. 

“Yeah, sure. Pizza sounds great.” Chloe smiles, her eyes lingering on Beca a beat longer. “See you guys tomorrow.” 

“See ya,” Beca says, turning around to take the direction of her car as Jack slides her hand into hers. 

“Mommy?” 

“Yeah, baby?” 

“You look happy.” 

Beca’s heart flutters over the reason behind that and the fact that her son is so attuned to other people’s emotions that he picked up on it. “Well I had fun today.” 

Jack grins as he skips. “It was the _best_ day.” 

“Yeah,” Beca breathes. “It really was.” 

And she has the inkling many more are ahead.


End file.
